Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens
Recipes: By Mary James Photography by John Schulz Photography
Arrogant Bastard Ale Onion Rings
Onion rings and beer — pub food perfection! That’s why these spicy oversize rings, a fixture at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens anniversary parties, are featured in the San Diego brewer’s first cookbook, The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens (Ten Speed Press, $25). Reprinted with the publisher’s permission
Arrogant Bastard Ale Onion Rings
Serves 6–8
Onion Rings
4 very large yellow onions
Vegetable oil for frying
Arrogant Bastard Ale Batter
2 cups (16 fluid ounces) cold Arrogant Bastard Ale
Heaping 3/4 teaspoon Cajun spice blend
Heaping ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried ground chipotle chilies
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup all-purpose flour (approximate,
see step 4)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Other ingredient needed
Stone Smoked Porter BBQ Sauce (note: see step 9)
1.Cut off the ends of each onion, cut in half crosswise, and remove the papery skin and thin outer membrane. Soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.
2.Drain the onions, separate the concentric rings, and spread them on a kitchen towel to dry.
3.Make the batter: Pour the Arrogant Bastard Ale into a high-sided narrow container. Stir in the Cajun spice blend, salt, chipotle, smoked paprika and garlic.
4.Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add them to the beer mixture slowly, whisking well until they’re evenly and thoroughly incorporated. You may need a bit more or less flour to reach the ideal consistency for a tempura-style batter. It should be just thick enough to coat the onion rings.
5.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
6.Prepare a deep fryer, filling it with oil to the manufacturer’s suggested fill level. Alternately, use a wide cast-iron or other heavy-duty pan at least 4 inches deep, pouring in oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches, and no more than halfway up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
7.Dunk the onion rings in the batter and fry in batches until crispy and deep reddish brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as this will result in soggy onion rings.
8.Transfer cooked onion rings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or directly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet). Season with salt and keep them in the oven until the entire batch has been fried.
9.Serve hot, with a side of Stone Smoked Porter BBQ Sauce for dipping. (NO ketchup!) It’s avail-able for $7 at the Stone Company Store as well as online at stonecompanystore.com.
